{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://duffy.house.gov//press-release/duffy-leads-effort-to-save-bat-from-endangered-species-distinction", "Duffy Leads Effort to Save Bat from Endangered Species Distinction", "2014-10-07", "2014", "2014-10", "Republican", "House", "WI", "Sean Duffy", "D000614", "duffy.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington D.C. \u2013\u00a0U.S. Representative Sean Duffy (WI-07)\u00a0is leading an effort to keep the northern long-eared bat (NLEB)\u00a0off\u00a0the endangered species list. Rep. Duffy led a letter along with seven of his House colleagues and Senator Ron Johnson to the the U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, and Director of the U.S. National Fish & Wildlife Services (FWS), emphasizing the negative economic impact of adding this species to the list:\nThe Members stated, \u201cWhile we support efforts to address the\u00a0spread of White-Nose Syndrome [WNS], we believe that an endangered species listing based on incomplete science will not only fail to address the root\u00a0issues affecting northern long-eared bat populations, but will significantly burden upper-Midwest businesses in the process. We urge you to reconsider this proposed rule and refrain from listing the northern long-eared bat as an endangered species.\u201d\u00a0\nThis effort has received support from several interested parties including the Ruffed Grouse Society. Dan Dessecker, the Director of Conservation Policy offered,\u00a0\u201cWNS has the potential to be the most devastating wildlife disease in North America in modern history. We urge the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to work with its federal and state agency partners to address this root cause of the declines of the northern long-eared bat and other bat species, without imposing unnecessary restrictions on wildlife habitat management practices essential to other wildlife.\u201d\u00a0\nShare Brandt, speaking on behalf of Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association members, added, \u201c[We] greatly appreciate Representative Duffy\u2019s action to support our concerns about the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service listing of the northern long-eared bat as endangered, which would thwart our power line maintenance efforts to ensure reliability.\u201d\u00a0\nTo read the full letter to the Secretary and Director, click\u00a0here", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://duffy.house.gov//press-release/duffy-leads-effort-to-save-bat-from-endangered-species-distinction"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8850788474082947, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}